2018 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Reviewed (by a Toddler)

If you are looking for a true review of the Volkswagen Atlas, click here, replace every word that says “Tiguan” with “Atlas”. The Atlas is basically the same thing but 13” longer, 6” wider, and 4” taller. Congratulations! You now know everything you need to know about the Atlas from the standpoint of an automotive reviewer. It is optioned the exact same way and since nobody wants to read the same review twice ,I decided it made sense to find a new perspective.

The Atlas has been covered by those in the drivers seat, but what about the end user? What about a passenger? What about the people (or the kids in this case) who have to ride in it on their way to hockey, soccer, school, or wherever they need to go. To help me help you, I brought in an expert at using the back seat. I brought in Asher. Asher is three years old and a great resource for me when I need to understand being a toddler again. We walked around the Atlas as I interviewed him on every aspect of the vehicle that I could think of… or could get him to focus on.

The review started out easy enough:

J – “Hey Asher, do you like the color?

A – “Yeah! Blue!”

J – “What do you think about the size?

A – “It’s this big *holds up 5 fingers*

J – “Tell me about the wheels”

A – They’re bigger

J – “Okaay, what else about the outside?”

A – “blue blue blue all the handles are blue”

J – Very interesting. What do you think about the front?”

A – “Wheel” *grabs at Volkswagen logo like a steering wheel*

J – “Do you like the lights?”

A -“Yeah! I walked on a ant hill and then ran away and then put my mom put my feet in water and the ants in my sandals”

That tangent continued as he looked up on the roof of my house and yelled…

A – “Birds! Birds! Birds! Chickens! Birds! Birds!”

They were pigeons but close enough I guess?

J – “Anything else about the front of the car you like?”

A – “Yeah!”

J – “What?”

A – “Nothing else”

I had a quick laugh at that.

J – “Anything else about the outside you like?”

A – “Yeah!”

J – “What?”

A – “Nothing else”

I really laughed this time. He got the hint I thought it was funny the first time and knew to say that again because he is a toddler after all. He then saw the R Line badge on the side and screamed “That!”. Got it. Three year olds do like shiny things. Easy enough. We then moved into the driver’s seat area. He won’t be experiencing this anytime but kids like all the buttons and screens so figured it was worth some time.

J – “What do you like about the inside?”

A – “umm it’s kind of umm its its pretty I guess”

At this point he saw a Southwest airplane flying past and told me a story about how he went on an airplane. I couldn’t even type as fast as he was telling me the story.

J – “What else do you like about it?”

A – “It’s good”

J – “Do you like the screen?”

A – “Yeah!”

J – “What else do you like up here?”

A – “Good!

He then started playing with the screen until I pried him off of it to go to the back seat. Kids like shiny things, but kids like screens more than anything. This thought was further reinforced when I got him into the back and he immediately started playing with the rear climate control screen. As soon as he got bored with that, I started my questioning again.

J – “Do you have a lot or little space?”

A – “Lot of space! And this is a lot of space over here” as he pointed his finger to the third row seat.

I completely agreed, especially compared to the Tiguan’s micro-row. I then figured out how to get the second smile of the night (we played with Nerf guns after we were done) when I opened up the gigantic sunroof with the press of a button.

J – “Do you like the ceiling?!?” (Yes it was a rhetorical question)

A – *Inaudible noise*

J – “What??”

A – I do!

J – “Haha okay bud. What else about the back?”

A – “Good!”

J – “Good?”

A – “Yeah!”

He then started playing with the shades that roll out of the door and as rain started to come down around us I figured it was about time to go inside. Toddlers get distracted easily and I was around the end of his attention span anyways.

The verdict? The Atlas is what I am judging to be toddler approved. Asher seemed very pleased with just about every aspect of the car. He liked the colorful blue exterior, the gadgets, the accessories, and the gigantic space the Atlas provided. As far as I am concerned, I agree with Asher. It is reasonably priced at $44,025 after delivery and even though combined 20 mpg is lower than desired, it is still 50% better than many vehicles in the same size range. The Atlas is very comfortable for drivers and passengers alike and overall would definitely recommend it.

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